Nothing Short of Adventure
by roarlikethunder
Summary: What matters most are the little moments, the ones rarely told; the secret smiles and the quiet laughs and the shared looks. A series of one-shots and drabbles loosely based off the movie, taking place anytime before and after.
1. Reunited

**Title: Reunited**

**Pairing(s): Jack/older!Sophie**

**Genre: Humor/Romance**

**Summary: In which Jack pays a visit to his favorite little mortals, who aren't so little anymore.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: I recently saw Rise of the Guardians and just like everyone else, I instantly fell in love with it (and of course Jack). I couldn't help it, I _had_ to write something. So without further ado, here's the first of (hopefully) many drabbles to come!**

* * *

Jack Frost never stayed in one place for very long.

Like the wind, he was constantly in motion, moving along to wherever he was needed. However, there were a few places he visited quite frequently. He spent a great deal of time at Santoff Clausen with the other Guardians, who had all grown much closer after their struggle to defeat Pitch Black. Another place he visited occasionally was Tooth's Palace. Although his pride wouldn't let him admit it, Tooth was easily his favorite fellow Guardian. It also wasn't rare to find Jack at Burgess, the only place that really ever felt like home to him.

And finally, he made a point to visit the Bennett siblings as often as he could.

Shortly after Jack became a Guardian, he somehow managed to find time to spend with Jamie and Sophie at least a few times a year. However, with an entire world's weather to manage and his new duties as a Guardian, he found himself busier than he ever had been. As each year passed, he found it harder and harder to leave his duties long enough to spend the day with his favorite little mortals.

One November night, Jack found himself with less duties than usual. He had delivered the cold front to the east coast of America, he had helped Tooth track down Baby Tooth after she failed to return that morning from a night of collecting teeth (a very large cat had taken her off guard and laid down on top of the poor fairy…then proceeded to take a nap) and he made sure the northern parts of Canada had its usual plentiful amount of snow.

Jack briefly considered using his free time to take a nice, long nap (something he rarely had the chance to do), but then realization dawned on him. He hadn't seen Jamie or little Sophie in almost _three_ whole years. Feeling a little guilty (and more than a bit nostalgic), he rose up with the wind and took off. If he was fast enough, he could make it in time for his favorite believers to have their first snowday of the season.

Weaving in and out of golden threads of dream sand, Jack grinned the whole way there. For half a second he wondered if they had stopped believing and forgotten about him; after all, it had been such a long time. But he quickly dismissed the thought and picked up his pace, refusing to even consider it.

* * *

It was not unusual for Sophie Bennett to be standing in her kitchen before the crack of dawn, brewing up a fresh pot of coffee. She had always been a morning person, unlike her night owl of a brother. It seemed she never missed a sunrise.

Sophie was a sophomore in high school now, having just turned sixteen. Her brother may have been three years older than her (his nineteenth birthday was next month), but he was only two years ahead of her in school, due to the fact that Sophie had skipped first grade. They were growing up much faster than Sophie would have liked.

She filled her coffee mug to the brim and made her way back down the hallway. Taking a sip of her warm mocha, she pushed open the door to Jamie's room. "Jaaaaamie…" she said in a soft, singsong voice. "Time to get up, it's finally Friday!" Jamie groaned as Sophie turned the lights on, throwing the covers over his head. She giggled. "You can sleep all of tomorrow away, but I kind of need a ride to school, so get up sleepy butt." When Jamie didn't respond, she shook her head. "Fine, but you asked for it…" Grinning mischievously, she stuck her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle.

Within seconds, Abby had flung herself into Jamie's bed and was barking and licking him furiously. Jamie screamed, trying desperately to shove the greyhound off of him. Finally Abby gave his cheek one final lick and jumped off the bed, trotting out of the room.

"Jesus Soph, I was gonna get up in a minute…" Jamie grumbled, wiping saliva off his face as he glared at his laughing sister.

"Oh I'm sure." Sophie giggled, shaking her head and going to the window. "C'mon, the suns already up, we're gonna be late-" she stopped in mid-sentence as she peaked around the curtain, eyes growing wide.

Jamie glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "What're you staring at?" he mumbled, voice still thick with sleep.

"Jamie…I think it's snowing?" she said, voice colored with disbelief.

"What? It can't be." he responded, fully awake now as climbed out of bed. "It's barely November." Frowning, he went to stand next to his little sister and pulled the curtain all the way back. What he saw made his jaw drop.

Beautiful flakes were swirling around in the morning light, dancing with the wind as they fell to the earth. At least three inches had already collected on the ground.

The siblings glanced at each other, sharing wide childlike grins. Without a word they ran out of Jamie's room and raced down the hallway to the living room. "Turn it on turn it on!" Sophie yelled as she threw herself on the couch.

"I'm trying!" Jamie laughed, fumbling with the remote as he picked it up. As fast as he could at this early hour, he turned on the tv and went straight to channel two. They read the headline before the weatherman could even start talking.

"SNOWDAY!" Sophie screamed, throwing her arms up in the air. Jamie laughed, but glared at her playfully.

"You woke me up for nothing!" he said, pretending to be irritated. Sophie just rolled her eyes.

"Go back to bed then, grumpy pants." She giggled, sticking her tongue out. Jamie chuckled and ruffled her hair before yawning and going back to his room.

Sophie rolled her eyes again and sipped her coffee, turning the tv back off. She grabbed a book off the side table and settled into the couch, preparing herself for a cozy day off.

Maybe if she would have looked out the window one more time, she would have seen the beautifully detailed frost creeping its way across the glass. Maybe she would have been prepared for the snowball that slammed into the side of her head.

Sophie screamed as snow exploded all over her. "JAMIE!" She yelled, dropping her book angrily. "You're not funny!"

Jamie, however, didn't answer. Sophie frowned and got up, grumbling to herself about not always being the immature one. She marched into the kitchen, which was connected to the living room and where the snowball had come from. "I swear I'll-"

"You'll do what?" A deep, familiar voice asked. Sophie glanced up to see a playful smirk and the bluest eyes to ever look upon this earth. A tall skinny boy with hair as white as snow was leaning against a wooden staff, eyes laughing at the frazzled girl.

"Jack?" Sophie whispered, eyes growing bigger than the moon.

"So you do still believe in me…I had to admit, I was a little worried…" Jack said, smirk turning into a huge grin. His worst fears had been chased away, and he was more than excited that he hadn't been forgotten.

Sophie just stared at him in disbelief. Finally she shook her head and launched forward, throwing herself at him. "Jack Jack Jack Jack Jack Jack!" She chanted, laughing and burying her face in his frosted sweatshirt.

Jack chuckled, wrapping his arms around the girl and spinning in her a circle. "I missed you too Soph. You've gotten so big!" He pulled back to take all of her in.

If he was being honest, the first thing he noticed was how beautiful she had gotten. Her blond hair was still a wild mess and just as long, but it framed her face perfectly. He tried not to blush as he realized how well she had grown into her curves, and her bright smile beaming up at him made his heart flutter (not that he'd ever admit it, especially to Bunny).

"Geez kid, how old are you now?" Jack asked, not even noticing that his arms were still around her, and hers likewise.

"Don't call me kid!" She giggled, sticking her tongue out. Jack smirked, knowing that no matter how grown up Sophie claimed to be, she'd still always be a little kid at heart. "You just missed my birthday a few days ago. I'm sixteen now Jacky!" She stated proudly.

"Sixteen!?" Jack said in disbelief, but smiled at the name only Sophie called him. "Wow Soph, you're almost as old as I am." He winked, making her giggle. "I'm sorry I missed your birthday, but hey, think of this snowday as a late present."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "I _guess_ a plain old snowday will make up for the last three birthdays you've missed…" she smirked, looking up at him. Jack frowned.

"You know what," he said, brushing her bangs out of her face. Sophie shivered and tried not to blush. She would have liked to believe it was because of his colder than average temperature, but she knew that wasn't entirely true.

"I'm going to make this the best late-birthday ever. C'mon," he smirked devilishly, making Sophie's own heart do flips, "let's go wake your brother back up. I think a bucket of ice water will do the trick…"

* * *

It was near midnight by the time Jamie made his rounds about the house, turning all the lights off. His mother was gone on a cruise for the week with her coworkers, a prize she had won at work, so it was up to him to take care of everything while she was gone.

Jamie threw a pile of soaked clothes in the washer, evidence of the long day in the snow that had taken place. Quietly, he crept up the stairs to turn the last light off in the living room. Glancing in the room, a small smile fluttered to his lips at what he saw. Shaking his head, he flicked the light off and wandered to his room.

On the couch, a very tired winter spirit was curled up with his Sophie, a smile on his face as they both slept quietly together.

Outside, the snow continued to fall peacefully.

* * *

**A/N: I think the idea of older!SophiexJack is absolutely adorable! Sorry if the ages are a little weird, I had a really hard time trying to make the numbers work how I wanted them to.**

**Anyway, I will love you to death if you let me know how I did. I'm a little rusty when it comes to fics, but hey, practice makes perfect.**

**I can't promise you I'll update every day, but I'd very much like to :) I _can_ promise to try my hardest!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Fear

**Title: Fear**

**Pairing(s): Hints of JackxTooth**

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: In which the Guardians learn Jack is not quite as fearless as he pretends to be.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: This chapter was, quite frankly, a bitch to write. I wanted so badly to write a one-shot about Jack's fear of fire (a personal headcannon of mine) but I wasn't quite sure _how_. Hopefully I pulled it off!**

* * *

There were not many things Jack Frost was afraid of.

Jack was notorious for his recklessness and irresponsibility. More often than naught, he had to get himself out of the stickiest situations. North's personal favorite story was the time Jack, by pure accident, got drunk on Christmas. No Guardian will ever forget the uproarious chaos that took place that year, except for Jack who has no memory of the night. He sure remembers the hangover, though.

However, there were times when Jack made sure to be cautious, for he was not entirely fearless. There were a few things he very much liked to avoid as best as he could. Being the Spirit of Winter, fires of any sort happened to be one of them.

The other Guardians had always sort of _known _without really realizing it. Jack always stood the farthest away from fireplaces. He never really seemed too fond of candles. He was never caught hanging around a bonfire on a chilly night, despite the laughter and games that usually drew the guardian of fun in.

It was only natural that flames drove him away. He was anything but warmth. Jack was the frost that covered your window in the early morning hours. Jack was the cold, biting wind that forced you to hug your jacket a little bit tighter. Jack was the first snowfall of the year, and the last just before spring. Jack was the nip at your nose and the chill in your bones. Jack Frost was the very contradiction of fire.

* * *

It was a cold Christmas morning. Jack was on his way north, while also making sure to give every town he could on the way their Christmas miracle...snow. He couldn't make it snow everywhere like he would have wanted to, with the need for balance and all, but he liked to bring as much snow on Christmas as he could.

Jack returned to his feet just outside of Santoff Clausen. He smirked and gave a nod to Phil, who grunted and returned his gesture with a glare. Just because Frost was allowed to be in Santoff Clausen now, didn't mean Phil had to like it. Jack had caused (and continues to cause) way too much trouble for Phil to have any sort of friendly feelings towards the winter spirit.

Jack made his way past the yeti and into the main entrance. Ignoring the unpleasant blast of heat that greeted him, he made his way through the workshop until he found the rather large sitting room where the rest of the Guardians had already gathered.

It had become a sort of tradition that the spirits met on major holidays and feasted together. Sure, none of them really _needed _to eat, being immortal and all, but they could still enjoy the flavors and tastes and textures of their favorite meals. With that being said, every year on Christmas and Easter, after North or Bunnymund had finished their annual duties, they could all be found at the Pole enjoying dinner together in North's huge dining hall.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaimed, noticing his quiet entrance. "The yetis are almost done with dinner. Come sit by the fire." She patted the spot next to her on the small couch she was curled up on with a cup of hot chocolate, smiling sweetly at him. North was passed out in a rocking chair next to her, snoring loudly, while Bunnymund and Sandy were absorbed in their rather competitive game of chess. Sometimes it startled Jack just how normal these figures of legend could act when they were off duty.

Jack's gaze shifted to the enormous fireplace mere feet away from the couch Tooth was lounging on, sourly noticing how the flames reached as high as his staff. Pulling his hood down, he shook his head. "It's a little too hot over there for me, Tooth." He replied with a shrug, leaning up against the wall next to a window, which frosted over beautifully the second he was near it. Tooth frowned.

"It's not like you're gonna melt, Frosty." Bunnymund commented before groaning as Sandy danced in place. Jack guessed he had been the victor of the two. This theory was confirmed when he grabbed Bunny's king and threw it to the ground as though he had just scored a touchdown.

Jack laughed, surprised by how competitive Sandy apparently was. Bunnymund shot him a glare. "Don't encourage him, mate!" He snapped, grabbing his king off the ground and setting the board back up for another round.

Still chuckling, Jack glanced over at Toothina, surprised to see her staring at him. She had her arms crossed over the back of the couch and she leaned against it, her knees digging into the cushions. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Do I have something on my face?" He asked playfully with a slight smirk. Tooth smiled and shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking…" she answered quietly, tilting her head to the side. "You really don't like fire, do you Jack?"

Jack rolled his eyes, continuing to smirk at her. "It's not that I don't _like _fire, I just think that being cold beats being warm any day."

It was Tooth's turn to roll her eyes. "Whateeeeever you say, Jack." She giggled, still eyeing him suspiciously.

They were interrupted by an irritated shout from Bunnymund, and looked over just in time to see a laughing Sandy dodge a blow from the sore loser as Bunny swung his large paw at him. This scream startled North, whose snores stuttered and he shot up into an upright position, mumbling about being under attack. Jack and Tooth snickered to themselves, and North shot them a groggy glare once he realized there wasn't a threat.

Just then, Phil threw the door open to the dining hall and yelled some very loud gibberish. "Ah!" North exclaimed, pulling himself to his feet. "Is time for eating!"

He led the way through the door; Sandy and Bunny following close behind. With a wink, Jack held the door open for Tooth, giving her a quiet "after you", causing the flustered fairy to blush as she hurried into the dining hall. Chuckling, Jack followed and sat down next to her.

"Wow…" she breathed, taking everything in as she gazed around the long table. It was covered in all sorts of food that ran the gamut from turkey to ham, mashed potatoes and gravy to cranberry sauce, rolls to corn on the cob, salads to green beans, stuffing to cobbler. It was, quite simply, a feast fit for kings.

"All looks good Phil!" North beamed, rubbing his hands together as he licked his lips. The other Guardians murmured their agreements and wasted no time in reaching in every direction for food to add to their plates.

Laughter and stories and jokes filled the room, and if you didn't pay attention to _who _was eating (a large Russian, a white-haired teenager, a fairy, a little man made of sand, and an over-sized rabbit) you easily could have mistaken the scene for a very normal Christmas dinner.

It wasn't long before Phil and a few other yetis began to carry out the desserts. The empty plates were removed and replaced with every kind of pie you could imagine, along with ice cream, cakes, fudge and chocolate covered strawberries.

Finally there was only one clear spot left on the table, and that spot happened to be in front of Jack. Phil came out of the kitchen one last time, carrying what looked like a large white cake. The Guardians 'ooed' and 'awwed' as they marveled at the scrumptious looking dessert covered in meringue, and Jack licked his lips as it was set down inches from his face.

Bunnymund eyed the cake excitedly. "Mmm Baked Alaska, my favorite!"

"Baked Alaska?" Jack asked, glancing up at Bunny, clearly never hearing of the dessert before. Momentarily distracted, he failed to notice Phil pulling a lighter out and holding it up to the cake. Startled by the sudden heat in front of him, he glanced back down just in time to see the dessert ignite into flames.

In reaction to the fire so very close to his face, Jack let out a scream that resembled that of a young girls'. He flipped the entire table out of panic, sending its contents all over those gathered in the dining hall, and flew out of the window before anyone had even realized what had happened.

He left behind the remaining food-covered Guardians who were laughing harder than they ever had before, along with an infuriated Phil.

From that day on, Jack's irrational fear of fire was no longer a secret.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think! Hopefully the next installment won't take quite as long.**

**Also, while I might not be able to get to all of them, _please_ let me know if you have any requests or ideas!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Hide-n-Seek

**Title: Hide-n-Seek**

**Pairing(s): None**

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: In which Jamie reigns as hide-n-seek champion.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: I still don't know how I feel about this one, but I figured I might as well post it. It's short and sweet, but I hope you'll still like it! **

**_Beta'd by the ever lovely darex2xdream_  
**

* * *

"1…2…3…"

Jamie Bennett raced down the stairs of his house with wide eyes and a fervently beating heart.

"4…5…6…"

In the closet? No, that was way too predictable.

"7…8…9…"

He looked around frantically, running from room to room.

"10…11…12…"

"Hide hide hide!" Little Sophie squealed, running by him. Giggling, she climbed into a laundry basket and buried herself under the pile of clothes. Jamie frowned as he watched. Sophie was getting too good at this game. He was going to have to start considering her as a serious threat…a threat to his title as hide-n-seek king, that is. Jamie held the record for the best hiding places, and he was always found last. No one had ever beaten him in a game of hide-n-seek.

"13…14…15…"

Well, until Jack Frost had come into the picture. But Jamie liked to pretend that immortal spirits didn't count.

"16…17…18…"

Jamie raced into his own bedroom, looking around for a good place to hide. Under the bed? Behind the dresser? Behind the curtains?_ No, no, no! Think Jamie, you can do better than this_.

"19…20…21…"

He was starting to become desperate. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down and think. But how could he be calm? His life-long record was on the line!

"22…23..24.."

Sprinting out of his room and down to the other end of the hallway, Jamie inspected the living room, looking for anywhere he could possibly hide that he hadn't hidden before. Jamie groaned as he realized there was nowhere here to hide, either. From under the sofa to Abby's bed, he'd exhausted this room as well.

Or…maybe he hadn't.

"25…26…27…"

A smirk that would have put Jack to shame curled its way onto his lips as a plan blossomed in his childish mind. Knowing he would have to act fast, Jamie ran to his room and found a box just big enough for him to squeeze into. Grabbing a roll of wrapping paper out of the hall closet, he went to work. He tried to ignore the numbers being shouted out from upstairs, as he was well aware he was running out of time. However, it wasn't long before the box was completely wrapped in striped paper and topped with a bright red bow. Grinning, Jamie carried it back into the living room and found a place for it under the Bennett Christmas tree.

"47…48…49…"

Jamie cringed as a deep chuckle filled the house. "50!" The voice from upstairs roared, filled to the brim with mischief. "Ready or not, here I come!"

As fast as he could, Jamie jumped into the box and closed it shut. He couldn't help but be pleased with himself. A Christmas present! This was his best idea yet! But before he could get comfortable, the air grew icy cold. Eyes widening, Jamie clamped both hands over his mouth and tried to stay as still as possible. It wasn't hard to figure out when Jack was nearby.

"Jaaaaamie….Soooooophie…" Jack called, and Jamie could hear the smirk in his voice. "Come out come out wherever you are…."

Jamie held his breath as he listened to the Guardian search the room, opening toy chests and looking under couches. After what seemed like forever, the room started to warm back up. Jamie let out the breath he had been involuntarily holding in, assuming that meant that Jack had gone to look somewhere else.

"AHA!" Jack screamed suddenly, making Jamie jump and his heart stop. "There you are!"

Jamie braced himself for the moment when the lid of his box was ripped off and a pair of smug blue eyes would stare down at him. Except that moment never came. Instead, he heard Sophie scream and run up the stairs, Jack laughing and racing after her.

Jamie grinned. He couldn't believe it. He had won again! Now all he had to do was remain unfound for seven minutes and thirty two seconds (the longest it had ever taken Jack to find him) and he would set a new record. Still beaming, he made himself comfortable in hopes that it would be a very, very long time before he crawled back out of the best hiding spot ever.

* * *

**Tell me what you think! And keep in mind that I'd _love _requests/ideas/anything else you'd like to throw at me :)**

**Until next time, thanks for reading!**


	4. Time

**Title: Time**

**Pairing(s): older!Sophie x Jack**

**Genre: Drama, Angst **

**Summary: In which Jack learns just how valuable time really is.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: I'm not really sure where this came from. All I can say about this one is, uh, sorry!**

_**beta'd by the simply fantastic darex2xdream**_

* * *

The older you get, the easier it is to lose track of seconds, minutes, hours. Days begin to lose their value once you realize you have more of them than you know what to do with. It becomes harder to remember what day it is, or even what month. Of course, there are still moments that will stay with you forever. Laughter that brings tears to your eyes over the silliest things, quiet nights alone with loved ones, the joy that comes with the first sight of an old friend.

Being immortal meant you didn't measure time with days or months or years. Time is accounted for by breathtaking sunsets and the warm taste of coffee and shared smiles.

However, not all of these remembered moments are happy.

It was a very cold Sunday. The only reason Jack had known it was a Sunday was because of the ringing church bells that cut through the crisp morning air. He was much better at keeping track of months rather than days, but he always knew when it was Sunday.

He was on his way to Chicago, letting the wind carry him as a light smile kept its place on his face. Today was Sophie's 23rd birthday and he had such a craving to see her.

She had moved there about a year ago, straight out of college. No matter how old she had gotten, Sophie was always filled with very big hopes and dreams. Even though she matured with age and became much more responsible (unlike her brother), Sophie never really "grew up". She was still filled to the brim with creativity and childlike wonder. She never lost her fascination for fantasy and fairy tales, something Jamie had passed down to her. And although she had to face adult responsibilities now, like getting a job and a house and paying taxes, she managed to find other ways to keep that young innocence Jack loved so much about her. She found writing was the perfect outlet for her bursting imagination, and worked part-time to pay the bills while spending time on the side writing her stories and novels.

Jack loved nothing more than reading what she wrote. To him, it was like taking a peek inside of her beautiful mind. She wrote about dragons and castles and mysteries and time travel and love. He couldn't count the number of quiet nights he had spent reading her latest masterpiece while she sipped away at her coffee (always peppermint mocha, no matter what time of year it was) and worked on the next one. They shared so many long minutes together without saying a word.

Just a week earlier, before Jack left her small apartment after she had fallen asleep, he left a note on her desk telling her to meet him at "Bean There, Done That" on her birthday. Bean There was a little coffee shop located at the heart of the city, Sophie's absolutely favorite place to visit. She had told Jack numerous times about how much she loved it there, and he figured there was no better place to celebrate her 23rd year alive. He knew she would most likely be out late with her friends as well, but he wanted to be the very first to wish her happy birthday.

So that Sunday morning, he found himself sitting on the roof of the building, legs dangling over the edge, waiting for the young woman to appear. In his pocket was a velvet box with a bow on it. It held a small silver ring, one with intricate patterns etched all around that looked very much like the beautiful frost that decorated every window Jack got close enough to. Jack planned on giving her the ring in hopes it would remind her of him whenever he couldn't be around.

He had been waiting for roughly half an hour when an ambulance raced by, sirens almost deafening. Frowning, Jack watched it until it had disappeared from sight. He knew it was silly to worry, but it had gone in the direction of her apartment, which was only a few blocks away…

After a few moments of silent indecision, he jumped up into the air and wandered off towards her apartment, hoping to meet her halfway to ease his worried mind. He was never one for waiting, anyway.

A few blocks down, he caught up with the ambulance, which was pulled over. Frowning, he drifted closer to see what had happened, as a group of people were all gathered around something on the ground. Finally, he got close enough to see the blond hair stained red with blood.

They say not a single breeze could be felt in the Windy City that day, and the next day Illinois was hit with their worst winter storm in history.

* * *

Jack Frost knew very well that everyone had to die. In the almost four hundred years that he had been around, he had seen deaths of every kind. But what he couldn't quite wrap his mind around was why people had to die so _soon_. He had all of eternity to throw snowballs and fall in love and make new friends, where as some people were lucky to even live at all.

She was only 23, for God's sake.

He found out later that she had rushed across the street without really looking, too much in a hurry to get to where she was going. Likewise, the taxi that had hit her was also late, and didn't even slow down as it whipped around the corner and plowed over her frail little body. The driver didn't stop, either, and no one ever found out who it was.

Jack had never felt so responsible for someone's death. Winters and blizzards had taken plenty of lives, but he always tried not to blame himself. Weather was unpredictable, and he couldn't keep track of everyone who got lost in a storm, no matter how hard he tried.

But Sophie…Sophie's death was different. If he hadn't gotten so involved with her, she might have lived to be a hundred. If he hadn't have had her meet him there so early…if he hadn't have had her meet him at all…She could have fallen in love. She could have gotten married. She could have had kids, and grandkids, and maybe even great grandkids. She could have seen the world like she wanted to. She could have gotten a book published, and everyone would have known who the beautiful, sweet, caring Sophie Bennett was. But instead she was dead before she really even got to live, and it was _all Jack's fault._

These were the thoughts that plagued him for such a long time.

He himself only told two people what had happened, while he let everyone else find out for themselves. First, he told Bunnymund, who had loved the girl almost as much as Jack. No matter how old she was, Sophie always spent every day before Easter helping him paint eggs. Jack knew he would never forget the pain he saw in his face when he told him what had happened.

The second person was much more painful to visit.

No matter how much Jack apologized, no matter how many times he said he was _sorry, so so sorry_, Jamie refused to believe it was Jack's fault. Not for one second would he throw the blame at the white haired boy who had loved his sister as much as he did. This only made Jack feel so much worse.

Eventually, Jack came to terms with what had happened and returned to his old self. Sophie would always be in his heart, and he knew he would never forget her. He made sure of that by wearing the ring he had meant to give her on her birthday, never taking it off for a second. Although he still blamed himself for her death, he was able to move on. After all, there were still kids who needed him.

But he swore to himself to never fall in love with a mortal again. It was too painful when he lost them. And he always lost them, eventually.

He watched Jamie grow old and have kids, and grandkids, and great grandkids. He watched after all of them, and was there when Jamie peacefully passed away. Jamie believed in Jack until the day he died, even though he lived to be ninety. They were best friends until the very end.

And every Sunday, the winter spirit could be found in a small graveyard, talking quietly to two headstones very close together with the Bennett siblings' names engraved into them, telling them all about the latest mischief he had gotten into.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah...did I mention I was sorry?**

**Don't worry, I have something great in store for all of you for Christmas... *cough*anditmayinvolveaverytipsyjac kfrost*cough***

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Juice

**Title: Juice**

**Pairing(s): Hints of JackxTooth**

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: In which naive little Jack gets his first taste of alcohol.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: I know this is a little late, but Merry Christmas (or whatever you choose to celebrate)!**

**_Beta'd by the ever fantastic darex2xdream_  
**

* * *

Some Christmases you just never forget.

"Dinner is almost ready!" North called, walking out of the kitchen.

"Finally! I'm _starving." _Jack whined, sitting up from the couch he had been laying on. Tooth, who was sitting next to him reading, rolled her eyes.

"You don't even need to eat Jack." She giggled, setting her book down.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to." Jack replied with that smug smile of his, shoving her shoulder playfully.

"As long as you don't flip the entire table again this year." Bunnymund snickered as he jumped out of a hole that had appeared in the floor, obviously just arriving at Santoff Claussen.

Jack turned and gave him the most venomous glare he could muster. "_Stop bringing it up." _He growled, a slight blush creeping on his cheeks that he just couldn't help.

Bunnymund just smirked, looking at North who was trying his very best not to laugh for Jack's sake. "Just make sure you don't light any candles for dinner, mate."

Tooth covered her mouth to try and hide her giggle, while Sandy shook silently with laugher from the armchair he was napping in just a few minutes ago.

Grumbling to himself, Jack leapt up from the couch and stormed off towards the kitchen, clearly not in the mood to be the butt of everyone's jokes. Pushing through the large wooden doors, however, his irritation was forgotten and his jaw nearly dropped.

The humongous kitchen was filled with food of every color, shape, and size. Yetis were rushing around everywhere, baking cookies and taking turkeys out of ovens and filling pies. Phil's loud voice could be heard somewhere in the massive area, bellowing out orders. Elves scrambled around everywhere, trying not to get stepped on as they looked for every opportunity they could to steal morsels of food.

"Wow," Jack breathed as he took in the sight. Phil, noticing the slight temperature drop, shot a glare his way. Jack chuckled. "Don't worry Phil, I'm just looking for something to drink. I won't touch any of your precious food," the spirit remarked, starting to wander around.

He finally reached a counter covered in all sorts of containers filled with drinks of every color. Frowning, Jack realized he had no idea what half of these were. It wasn't very often he had such a variety to choose from.

Scratching his head, he grabbed the closest thing to him-a large bottle filled with a deep red liquid-and made his way out a side door.

He wandered the workshop for a while, wasting time until dinner. Jack didn't really hold grudges, but he hated that Cottontail had something to hold against him now, and he was much too prideful to sit there and let the oversized rabbit rag on him.

Finally, he found a nice empty window seat and curled up against the cool glass, watching the snow fall outside. Glancing down at the bottle he was holding, he pulled a cork out and took a very large swig. His eyes grew wide and he choked on the taste, nearly spitting it out. Jack swallowed it with a shudder and frowned. It was so _strong _compared to anything he had ever drunk before, but it tasted kind of…nice? Once you got past the initial shock, that is.

Frowning, Jack looked down at his chest, which was _warm. _He had never had juice that made him warm!

Jack stared at the bottle for a minute, not sure what to do. He couldn't quite decide if he liked this strange drink or not. Running his fingers through his hair, he carefully took a small sip. He shuddered at first, but as the warm, tingly sensation traveled down his chest, he decided he quite liked this strange drink.

* * *

It wasn't for another hour until Tooth found him. "Jack!" She exclaimed, but quickly frowned. "Why are you sitting like that?"

The winter spirit in question was hanging upside down from the windowsill, the very tips of his hair brushing against the ground. His eyes were closed as though he had been very deep in thought. "TOOTH!" He yelled at the sound of her voice, eyes flying open as he fell to the ground. He didn't even wince as he quickly sat upright, grinning. "I'm so glad you found me!"

"Are you…okay?" Tooth asked warily, not sure why he was acting goofier than usual. "You know, Bunnymund was just kidding about the whole fire thing-"

"Am I _okay_!? I'm fantastic!" Jack exclaimed happily, throwing his arms up in the air. He quickly scrambled to his feet and stumbled over to her.

"If you say so…" Tooth said carefully, frown still in place, watching him make his way over to her.

"Tooth, Tooth, Toothy…" Jack sighed dreamily, placing his hands on her shoulders as he struggled to stay upright. "Have I ever told you how _great _you are?" he said seriously, followed by a hiccup. Tooth stared at him for a moment before glancing back at the window he had been sitting in. Narrowing her eyes, she caught sight of a bottle twice the size as Jack's head.

Pulling away from him, she flew over to the window and picked the empty bottle up. Jack frowned and spun around to try and keep up with her, almost falling over in the process. "Jack…" Tooth said slowly, eyes growing wide as she read the label. "PLEASE don't tell me you drank all of this…"

"WhatifIdid?" Jack slurred, leaning against a wall for support. "It's just juice or whatever."

"Jack…this isn't juice…" Tooth giggled, a grin spreading across her face.

"Punch. WHATEVER." Jack said, rolling his eyes and leaning more into the wall.

"No, Jack, this is wine. You drank this entire bottle of wine."

"Wine?" Jack frowned, looking down. He was clearly having a hard time putting all the pieces together. "But…if that's wine…" He looked up suddenly; eyes as large as the moon. "TOOTH! I'M _DRUNK_!"

Tooth flew quickly over to him, trying as hard as she could not to laugh at his shocked face. "Shhh, Jack. It's okay. You're just a little…tipsy, that's all." She giggled, holding onto his arm to keep him upright.

"NO TOOTH I'M DRUNK!" He yelled, grabbing his hair. "I've never even HAD alcohol before and now I'm DRUNK!"

Tooth couldn't help it anymore. She laughed as she grabbed his hand and started leading him down the hall. "This isn't FUNNY Tooth!" Jack exclaimed, making Tooth laugh harder as he stumbled next to her.

"No, you're right, it's not. Let's just go sit down at the dinner table, alright?" She snickered. Tooth couldn't _wait _to see the other's guardians' faces when they saw him.

She pulled him along slowly, shushing him at every outburst. He finally got over the simple fact that he was drunk and began going off on how _amazing _the colors of her feathers were. Tooth just nodded the whole time, patronizing him as she tugged him down the hall.

Tooth finally pushed her way into the kitchen with Jack trailing along behind her, giggling as he nearly got hit by the swinging doors. Everyone looked up expectantly, clearly waiting for the pair to arrive.

"Tooth." Jack whispered very loudly to the fairy holding his hand. "I think the Easter Kangaroo is mad at us for being late." He practically yelled in a tone he obviously thought was quiet, noticing the less-than-friendly look Bunnymund was giving him.

"Hey!" Bunnymund yelled, narrowing his eyes. "Watch it Frostbite. What's wrong with you?" He added as an afterthought as he watched Jack sway in place, giggling at his own joke.

"Well…" Tooth began, helping Jack sit down at the big table. "Jack here found something in the kitchen…" Before she could be bombarded with questions, she set the oversized empty wine bottle on the table for them all to see.

There was silence as everyone's eyes grew wide.

"I'm DRUNK!" Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air happily as if he had just won the lottery. Without missing a beat, North exploded into laughter. Jack grinned to himself, clearly pleased with this reaction.

"You have GOT to be joking me." Bunnymund stammered, still staring at the bottle.

"He didn't mean to!" Tooth giggled, trying to defend Jack. "He…thought it was juice."

North roared even louder, and Sandy joined in silently. Jack seemed oblivious to that fact they were laughing at his expense and hummed to himself, filling up his plate. He didn't let go of Tooth's hand though, and she tried to pretend she didn't notice.

"Crikey, this is going to be one long dinner." Bunny groaned, shaking his head. Jack hiccuped and threw a pea at Bunny.

"Oh lighten up Cottontail." He giggled, smirking. Tooth gasped and tried her hardest not to laugh. Bunny muttered a string of curse words under his breath as he glared at his fellow guardian, deciding it was best if he just didn't say anything.

Needless to say, it was the _best _Christmas dinner the Guardians had ever shared. Even Bunnymund has his fair share of laughs. Finally the table had been cleared of food, but the spirits found themselves content just to sit and talk, something they never really got around to doing. It wasn't long before Jack found himself yawning, and he quietly laid his head on Tooth's shoulder and took a nap. Tooth tried very hard to pretend she wasn't blushing and ignored the knowing look North gave her.

Jack spent the entire next day curled up under a blanket on the couch in Santoff Claussen, yelling at anything that made any sort of noise and throwing all the unfortunate elves who happened to get too close across the room.

* * *

**A/N: I think drunk!Jack is my new favorite thing...but I'd love to hear what you guys think!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Cheer up, Boogeyman

**Title: Cheer up, Boogeyman**

**Pairing(s): None**

**Genre: Humor, Hurt/Comfort**

**Summary: In which Pitch learns that not everyone is out to get him. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: After watching this movie for the fifth time (judge me, I dare you) I've become overwhelmed with _Pitch Feels_. I can't tell you how badly I just want to give him a hug :(**

**_Beta'd by the lovely darex2xdream_**

* * *

Not everyone is afraid of the Boogeyman.

This, of course, is very unfortunate for Pitch Black.

The man in question spent most of his days scheming in his lair, coming up with every possible plan that could put him back on top of his throne as the King of Nightmares. After the Guardians had defeated him in Burgess and he had fought off his very own Fearlings, he spent a lot of time dwelling on what almost was in that little den of his. In fact, it was a good long while before he actually saw sunlight again.

It was the middle of winter, probably January, when Pitch first emerged, warily, from the hole that led to his lair. Glancing around at all of the snow, he sneered in disgust at the thought of the winter spirit who was responsible for the cold, white powder. Revenge on Jack Frost was his first priority when he plotted and schemed and strategized, but he put that aside for now. The white-haired boy who had rejected him after Pitch had opened up to him-_the only person Pitch had ever opened up to_-was a sore subject and one he tried not to think about too much.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he was acting like a stupid little girl who had been broken up with, but he really didn't care. The simple truth was that Pitch just didn't want to be alone anymore.

Deciding that snow was not what he wanted to be around right now, he slunk away and sought out someplace else. Eventually he came upon a small town in Washington. The air had a bitter chill to it, but there wasn't so much as a snowflake in sight, and the clouds gave the grey town a dismal feel to it. Satisfied, he began to creep around the town, casting shadows over happy couples and little children, determined to make anyone he could feel as miserable and afraid as he had been for such a long time.

Unfortunately for Pitch, however, no one in the town seemed to believe in the Boogeyman anymore. He had reduced a few toddlers to tears with the creepiest shadows he could muster, but it just wasn't enough for him. He wanted more, he _needed_more.

The harder he tried, however, the worse he did. He just couldn't really scare anyone in this town.  
More than once a child had simply walked through him, and the pain it had caused him was enough to drop him to his knees.

Frustrated and defeated, Pitch slumped down on a bench next to an empty park. Darkness was starting to set in as the sun disappeared below the horizon, which meant he didn't have much time left. As much as Pitch wanted to stir up a few beautiful nightmares to plague the thoughts of sleeping children, the last person he wanted to run into was the Sandman.

It was then that he noticed her.

Glancing up, he saw a little girl no older than seven staring at him intently. Her curly strawberry-blond hair was out of control, taking up most of her face. Her bright blue eyes, however, were wide and refused to blink.

Pitch stared at her for a moment, clearing his throat.

"Uh, boo?"

The girl giggled, refusing to look away. Pitch groaned, burying his face in his hands, deterred by the fact that not only could he not scare anyone, but this little girl found him _amusing_.

After a few silent moments, he peeked through his fingers and frowned when the girl was still standing just a few feet away, staring him down. "What do you want?" He snapped, lifting his head back up.

"Are you the Boogeyman?" she asked, her voice quiet but filled with curiosity as she took in his dark attire and grey skin, clearly assessing him with her young mind.

Pitch looked her up and down as well, not sure what to think of this little…thing. "Yes…" he said slowly, unsure of what to do in this sort of situation.

"I thought you're supposed to be scary."

"I am scary!" Pitch screeched, standing up. Although he intended to frighten the girl, he sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself.

The little girl, however, didn't even blink. She just stared at him with those wide blue eyes.

Defeated once more, Pitch slumped his shoulders and sighed. "I mean…I'm _supposed_to be scary…I guess I'm just losing my touch." He mumbled, mostly to himself. "People just don't believe in me anymore…"

There were a few silent moments. Then, very quietly, the girl shuffled a few steps closer to him. "I believe in you." she stated, tilting her head to the side.

"You…You what?" Pitch stammered, looking back at the little child.

"I believe in you." She said again, more loudly. "You're not very scary right now, but I bet you can be when you want to be. You just need to cheer up!" She smiled at him, and Pitch found himself at a loss for words.

Even more surprisingly, she marched right up to him and hugged his legs.

Pitch just stared down at her, unable to comprehend what was happening. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had touched him, let alone gave him a hug.

"I hope you feel better Boogeyman!" She said after another moment. Letting go, she wandered off down the sidewalk and disappeared out of sight.

Pitch watched her go, surprised at the warm feeling that had suddenly overcome him. He may thrive off of fear and grief and loss, but this new feeling…it wasn't all that bad, either.

With the smallest hint of a smile, Pitch wondered to himself what it would have been like to have a daughter.

* * *

**A/N: I just wanted to give you all a big thank you for all the support you've given this story. Every new follower and favorite and review gives me the biggest smile and I love you all for it 3 I mean, every author wants more reviews *coughcough* but honestly, I'm just really grateful for whatever amount of love this story gets. **

**You guys are the best3**

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Lights Out

**Title: Lights Out**

**Pairing(s): Just a sprinkle of older!SophiexJack (I can't help myself, okay?)**

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: In which the Bennetts must make the best of a power outage. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: Wow guys, I'm really really sorry it's taken me, what, three weeks to update? I had finals and then I had a paper to write, and with the new semester I had to adjust to all new classes and _ugh_. I promise I won't abandon you all for this long again! Here, have some sibling fluff!**

**_Beta'd by the wonderful darex2xdream_**

* * *

It had been over 300 hundred years, and Jack still didn't know his own strength when it came to his powers.

"Do you think he's here yet?" Sophie asked, not looking up from her book. She was nestled into the couch, at least four blankets wrapped around her in an attempt to stay warm. She didn't need to look up and out the window next to her to know the storm was getting worse. The wind was howling so loudly by now that Sophie was sure she could feel the whole house moving.

"Dunno, maybe." Jamie yawned, casting a glance her way from the kitchen table across the room. The table was covered in opened textbooks, notebooks, and loose pieces of paper as Jamie slaved away over his homework. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, I mean a storm this big _has _to be because of Jack."

"I just hope he's not in a bad mood or something. The last time it snowed this hard here was when Jimmy made me cry in front of everyone." Sophie commented, flipping a page of her book.

"Well whatever his deal is-" Jamie cut off as the lights suddenly began to flicker. Frowning, he glanced over at Sophie just in time for the entire house to go pitch black.

"Shit…" Jamie muttered, groping the table for his cell phone. "You alright Soph?" he called out to her, knowing just how much she didn't like the dark, even if she was almost seventeen years old.

"You don't think it's…" She faltered, her voice smaller and much more childlike than it usually was.

"No, it's just the storm. Pitch hasn't been seen in a long time, remember?" Jamie replied, finally finding his phone and using it as a flashlight. He quickly got up and began digging around in the cupboards.

"Doesn't mean he won't come back." Sophie mumbled too quietly for Jamie to hear, wrapping the blankets around herself tighter, book forgotten. She felt so much smaller in the dark, so much younger.

After a few more minutes of digging through drawers and cupboards, Jamie finally let out a victorious "aha!" and made his way into the living room. As fast as he could, he set down a few candles he had managed to dig up on the coffee table and lit them using a small box of matches. Unfortunately, there was still barely enough light for Jamie to be able to see Sophie, who was only a few feet away.

"Hopefully the power will come back on really soon..." He commented sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Sophie just rolled her eyes and tried to stifle a laugh. No matter how old Jamie got, she was convinced he'd never really be able to take care of himself.

"C'mon, I think there are more candles in the hall closet."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the living room and kitchen were dimly lit with about eighteen assorted candles, and the Bennett siblings were armed with flashlights and thick sweatshirts. Every blanket to be found in the house had been dragged into the living room as well, basic building blocks for a fort just waiting to be made.

"I want popcorn." Sophie whined, dropping all the pillows from her room onto the floor.

"I mean, you could probably try to pop it over a candle…" Jamie smirked as he pushed the couch back against the wall. Fighting a smile, Sophie threw a pillow at him and crossed her arms.

"You're not funny," she pouted.

"I'm _hilarious._"

The blizzard only seemed to get worse, the snow falling harder and harder as the wind howled louder than it had in a long time. Sophie was shivering by the time they managed to get their fort up; a mound of blankets and pillows and couch cushions.

However, the Bennetts weren't completely miserable, despite the colder-than-average temperatures. Wrapping themselves up in a snuggie-_or eight_-they found themselves lost in their favorite story game, fortunately/unfortunately.

The rules were simple enough. One person would add to the story starting with fortunately, and the next person would use unfortunately.

"Unfortunately, the situation was getting out of hand. The bear knew he had to act fast, or all of his hard work would be for nothing." Jamie said, and then glanced at Sophie, waiting for his younger sister to take her turn.

Sophie thought for a moment, eyes bright and she mulled over possible directions in which she could take this story. "Fortunately, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. The bear marched right up to T-Rex and demanded he give back his favorite colored pencils, because if he couldn't finish his drawing, he wouldn't win the art show and a free vacation to Mexico! He had already bought a huge sombrero, so he had no choice. He _had _to win." Satisfied with her answer, she turned to Jamie, the look in her eyes daring him to try and top that.

Chuckling, Jamie thought for a moment, stretching his legs out. "Unfortunately," he began, "the T-Rex only spoke French, so he had no idea what the bear was saying."

"Fortunately, the bear had been taking online French classes."

"Unfortunately, the T-Rex had already broken all of the colored pencils, for he had tried to use them as toothpicks."

"Fortunately, he had a spare set that he gave the bear in order to fulfill his dreams of wearing a sombrero."

"Unfortunately, the bear was too late, and his arch nemesis, Arthur the tree frog, had already won with his beautiful painting of the galaxy."

By the time they finally got tired of their game, they both had stitches in their sides from laughing so hard.

* * *

"I'm gonna get a glass of water." Sophie remarked suddenly, crawling out of the makeshift fort, leaving behind a warm pile of blankets.

"Mmkay." Jamie yawned, absorbed in a text he was typing.

Sophie stretched as she stood up once outside the fort, then frowned as she realized something was off. Five candles were no longer lit. Sophie glanced around the room uneasily, but decided they must have just gone out on their own. Shaking her head, as if to chase away her fear, she made her way carefully into the kitchen.

However, she was startled to find that five of the candles in the kitchen had also gone out. Sophie could feel her heartbeat quickening, but not wanting to make a big deal out of nothing, she tried reaching for a glass as quick as she could so she could retreat to the safety of her and her brother's fort.

Just as her delicate fingers were about to wrap around the cool glass in the cupboard, something entangled itself around her waist and yanked her back into the shadows. Before her lips could part and let out the startled scream that rose in her chest, cold fingers clamped over her mouth, keeping her quiet.

Sophie went numb with panic. All she could think about were deep golden eyes and black shifting sand. Even though she knew fear only made Pitch stronger-he _lived _for dread, horror, anxiety-she couldn't stop herself from drowning in it. He was going to take her away, he was going to hurt her again, he was going to use her to gain the petty revenge he had been trying to get on Jack for years-

As Sophie struggled to get away, a soft, familiar chuckle came from right next to her ear. "What, aren't you happy to see me?" The voice said in a hushed tone, and a playful kiss was planted on top of her head. For once Sophie was glad it was dark so he couldn't see her reddening cheeks.

Mumbling something into his hand that sounded a lot like "get off me", Sophie shoved his staff away (which happened to still be hooked around her waist) and squirmed until she had turned around to face him, ripping his hand off of her mouth.

"You always have to make an entrance, don't you Jack? Have you ever even _heard _of knocking?" Sophie scowled up at him, but her eyes gave away just how happy she was to see him.

"Go big or go home." He smirked, leaning against his staff as he stared down at her. "Although," he added with a slight frown, "this blizzard may have gotten out of hand…"

"No shit, Sherlock."

Jack blinked, startled at the way she casually threw around a swear word. As he peered down at the wild little blond that he had grown to love, he realized that even though she still loved to color, slept with a stuffed bunny, and always kept a nightlight (or three) in her room...Sophie really wasn't a kid anymore.

He tried to ignore the pang in his heart, and instead leaned a little closer to her, giving her the best mischievous grin he could muster.

"Let's see how bad we can scare Jamie…"

* * *

**A/N: As usual, I'm not completely satisfied with this...aw, well. **

**Hope I made you interested enough to want to know what happened that made Sophie so scared of Pitch, because a big, fat, juicy back story is coming your way soon!**

**Leave me some love if you can, and thanks for reading!**


	8. Lights Out II

**Title: Lights Out II**

**Pairing(s): A little bit more than just a sprinkle of Jackxolder!Sophie this time... **

**Genre: Humor**

**Summary: In which Sophie and Jack become partners in crime.**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story itself.**

**A/N: I know, it's been awhile...my only excuse is that our junior research paper has been kicking my butt. This has honestly been gathering dust in my NSOA folder since right after I posted the last part, but I couldn't bring myself to finish it...sorry guys :( But hey, I've also been working on a human Rainbow Snowcone/Frostbite story and possibly a multichapter JackxSophie story, so there's that I guess. **

**Anyway, upon request, here is Lights Out II!**

**Huge thanks to my beta darex2xdream for putting up with me!**

* * *

"Ready Soph?"

"You bet I am."

"Remember, we have to be really REALLY quiet to pull this off."

"Excuse me, _I'm_ not the one who screams when they try to whisper."

"Hey, at least_ I_ don't trip over thin air all the time."

"My clumsiness has nothing to do with this!"

"It has everything to do with this! What happens when you slip and fall screaming down the stairs!? My brilliant plan will be ruined, that's what-"

"_Your_ brilliant plan-"

"Yes, MY brilliant plan-"

"Will you just shut up-"

"_Make me_."

Sophie desperately fought off a blush, suddenly aware of just how close Jack was standing, how she could feel his cool breath tickling her cheeks, how much she wanted to just punch that smug look right off his face, _how badly she wanted to stand up on her tiptoes and close this small, insignificant space between them_-

Sophie settled for sticking her tongue out and crossing her arms over her chest.

Jack's infamous smirk grew a little bit wider, loving just how easy it was to get her all worked up. "Now, are you ready or not?"

Despite her previous irritation, Sophie dropped her arms and felt her lips tug up in a mischievous grin. "Let's do this."

Satisfied, Jack peeked around the corner of the kitchen, eyes scanning the adjoining living room. Jamie was still curled up in the fort, yawning and staring at his phone. His eyes were drooping, and Jack knew he was less aware of his surroundings than usual.

Looking back, he nodded at Sophie and waved her towards him. The youngest Bennett crept forward, glanced at Jamie, and then slowly began tiptoeing her way across the living room towards the stairs that led downstairs. She made it about halfway before Jamie rolled over, putting her completely out of his line of vision.

Grinning, Sophie took a few more steps and finished her trek to the stairs by diving into a summersault. Standing up, she turned back to Jack and took a gracious bow, sending him a playful look.

Jack covered his mouth to keep from laughing before darting over to Sophie. He grabbed her hand and yanked her down the stairs, dragging the poor girl behind him.

When they finally reached the bottom, it was all the pair could do to not burst out laughing. Instead they clutched their sides and grinned at each other, eyes spilling over with mischief.

Not letting go of her hand, Jack dragged his partner in crime down the hall and into the living room. Sophie clicked on a flashlight, clearly not pleased about how dark it was, and they quickly got to work.

Fifteen minutes later, everything was set in place. Jack rubbed his hands together excitedly, eyeing his work appreciatively. "Jamie is going to _hate _us after this." He whispered with a smirk.

"Yeah, but you get to leave and escape his wrath." Sophie commented from her spot on the couch, throwing a pillow at him before laying down. She had wrapped up in a blanket and settled down on the couch while he had gone around the room, triple checking their work. "I have to live with him."

Chuckling, Jack caught the pillow and set his staff up against the wall. "Well doesn't that suck?" he taunted, throwing the pillow back at her a little bit harder.

It hit her with a soft thud, and she glared from under her choppy, disheveled bangs. "Maybe I'll just blame the whole thing on you. It was _your_ genius idea, after all."

"Oh yeah?" Jack grinned, taking a step closer. "And how are you going to make me stick around to take the blame?" There was a challenge in his voice, a glint in his eyes that Sophie knew all too well.

"Oh I'll think of something." She said dismissively, trying not to get sucked into his game. It was a useless attempt, however. She always fell for his tricks-_his smirk_-no matter how hard she tried.

"We'll see about that." Jack leaned over the back of the couch, grinning down at her, his hands in his pockets. Sophie's fingers twitched, once again plagued with the urge to just _hit_ him.

Rolling her eyes, she looked at her nails as if bored. "Whateeeeeeever you say Jack…" she shot him a look out of the corner of her eye, lips twitching just the slightest.

Jack leaned down closer to her, eyes flashing dangerously, and Sophie fought off a groan. What had she gotten herself into?

"Miss Sophie Bennett, am I _boring_ you?"

A blush crept to her cheeks, a part of her loving the way her name sounded on his lips, not that she'd ever admit it. She ignored him, however, continuing to pick at her nails. She could hardly see them anyway, considering the flashlight was in the middle of the room pointing at the ceiling, only lighting up a small portion of the room, but she acted as though nothing fascinated her more than the hand barely visible in front of her.

"Oh you are _so_ asking for it."

Before she could even glance at him, he had jumped over the back of the couch and landed on top of her. Grabbing her waist, he rolled her off the couch and onto the floor, sitting on top of her and pinning her arms above her head.

Sophie stared up at him with wide eyes. He had moved so fast that she wasn't entirely sure how she had ended up in this position, but as soon as realization sunk in that _Jack Frost was on top of her_, her cheeks turned a bright cherry red. Jack chuckled, leaning in closer, their noses almost touching. "What are you gonna do now little Sophie, hmm?" he whispered, cold breath sending shivers down her spine. He was enjoying this way too much and she knew it, the bastard.

Once she got past her initial shock, she mustered up the most venomous glare she could. "You think you're _so_ cute." She muttered, knowing that no matter how hard she tried to look irritated, the blush stuck on her cheeks was not going away anytime soon.

"I know I am." He whispered, leaning just the slightest bit closer. Sophie fumbled for a reply, but he was too close for her to breathe, too close for her to think.

Sophie had always known she had liked Jack, just a little bit. How could she not? When she was little, he was just like another big brother to her, always watching out for her and pushing her in the right direction. When she got older, however, the term "brother" seemed less appealing to her when thinking about Jack. He was too smug, too flirty with her, so took on the title of best friend.

Not to mention he was incredibly attractive, but that was just another item on the very long list of things-she-would-never-admit-about-Jack-Frost. Although he couldn't always be there for her, he was the one she went to when she didn't think she could talk to Jamie.

Sophie didn't exactly have a "hard" time making friends in school, but it wasn't really easy for her either. Her childish beliefs made a lot of people have a hard time taking her seriously when she was younger, so she learned by high school to just keep them to herself. She was still a little bit too strange for the kids she went to school with, with her messy hair and inability to match to save her life, but she got along just fine. With a few close friends, and her brother and Jack, she didn't really think she needed anything else.

That didn't mean she had it easy though. During the awkward years of middle school, when everyone really started to crave acceptance and began trying desperately to figure out who they were and where they belonged, Sophie was perfectly content being Sophie. She had no desire to model herself after the older girls or chase after the cutest boys in her class. Her individuality, unfortunately, made her an easy target. Boys who thought they needed to prove to their friends how "cool" they were made fun of her any chance they got, and girls laughed at her choice of style to make themselves feel better. No one ever laid a hand on her, thanks to the promise that Jamie _would _hunt them down and kill them, but they still got away with tormenting her as much as they could.

It was never easy, but Sophie got through it, and by high school everyone finally started to leave her alone. As she got older, her features filled out and she became quite a pretty sight. Now quieter and more appealing, she intimated the boys too much to ever really get asked out, but made other girls envious for her naturally slim figure and pretty face. Even though she wasn't poked fun at as much anymore, she still was hardly talked to at school. Sometimes she felt like she really couldn't win.

But Jack was always there, every chance he got.

And as Sophie stared up at him, at those thin lips so very close to hers, she realized that no matter _how_ annoying he was…

…there was no one else she'd rather be annoyed with.

(Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she added that to her list).

"Sophie? Where'd you go?"

Jamie's shout upstairs was all it took to shatter the moment. They both jumped apart, Jack rolling off of her and Sophie sitting up quickly, smoothing out her hair. Jack cleared his throat and glanced at her, chuckling a little in order to shake off that "we've been caught" feeling. "Looks like it's time…" he whispered, sending her a wink.

Sophie smirked despite herself, quickly running over to turn the flashlight off and going to her designated hiding spot, then yelled up to Jamie in a 'terrified' voice that she was downstairs and to come quickly. Jack followed suit, dashing over to his position.

Ten minutes later, Sophie and Jack found themselves running for their lives as a very angry, very food-covered Jamie chased after them, screaming that they _almost killed him_.

No one even noticed when the power came back on.

* * *

**A/N: Just as a side note, the problem with writing Sophie (especially at an older age than she appears in the movie) is that I kind of have to make it up as I go along...small, side characters will be my downfall, I swear. Anyway, this chapter had quite a few headcannons of mine, such as that Sophie is a little bit too clumsy (she trips over everything in the movie, goodness gracious) and even though she doesn't really seem to mind, I don't think kids would have an easy time accepting her and her mismatched clothes and bright colors...**

**Point is, hope I didn't screw with your own headcannons too much, haha!**

**Thanks for reading, leave some love if you can!**


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